Enjoy the summer - but come back ready to end the London housing crisis

Posted by Seb Klier10sc on July 21, 2016

As is so often the case in the week before politicians break for the summer, we’ve had a raft of announcements, predictions and indicators in the last week – including a number of focused reports today from English Housing Survey data.

Coupled with announcements made at yesterday’s Mayoral Question Time (the last until September), private renters in London have a diagnosis and some solutions to ponder over the summer.

But equally, it is hoped that these reports will have brought added impetus to plans being written by the housing team at City Hall, ready to hit the ground running after the summer.

Local authorities in London have for years been raising cases of children having to travel long distances to remain at their old schools because of changes in housing circumstance, with all the attendant problems for the family as a result.

For those stuck in the private rented sector, we hope new Mayoral powers and policy direction can start to improve a tenure that is a long-term norm for so many Londoners. At Mayoral Question Time, Sadiq Khan indicated that he was confident to securing powers to approve borough-wide landlord licensing.

One final issue was raised at the London Assembly that Generation Rent will be looking to build on. While the Mayor has promised to ensure residents have a genuine say in estate regeneration plans, it has been unclear how this affects private renters, who have historically had no rights and simply faced eviction when an estate has been rebuilt.

This is a good step forward in recognising that private renters are also long-term residents in London and deserve rights and consideration under council plans, as well as more support in London’s overall housing strategy.

With new Minister for Housing Gavin Barwell also holding the brief for London, and representing a constituency where one in five residents are private renters, we hope this can become the new normal.